Life of the blessed servant of God, the heroic martyr, John Gabriel Perboyre, priest of the Congregation of the mission

Front matter

1 Library of Congress. ^1 y^UNlTED STATES OF AMERICA.

LIFE

OF THE BLESSED

Preface

I have been asked to put a few words by way of preface to this translation of a little life of a great servant of God. I can not but regard it as a privilege to be associated, in however slight a degree, with so useful an undertaking.

It is of supreme importance for us children of the Catholic Church in this nineteenth century to realize that we are, even in this life and in this century, " fellow citizens of the Saints;" that we have saints amongst our fellow citizens; men and women subject to the same influences and conditions as ourselves, whom, if we have not known, we might have known, and whose brethren are still with us ; but whose lives establish their unmistakable spiritual identity with those of the Apostles and Martyrs of the early Church.

Father Perboyre, the subject of this memoir, was born in 1802, and completed his glorious career, by martyrdom, on the Chinese Mission, in 1840, in the 38th year of his age. Until he viii Preface.

was thirty-two, his life presented no salient features to attract the attention of the external world. It was a life of prayer and patient usefulness, with nothing extraordinary about it, except — and what an exception! — that, according to their continuous testimony, those who knew him best were unable to discover in him " the least shadow of an imperfection." Owing to his weak health, his superiors had long persuaded themselves that whilst Father Perboyre was admirably fitted for the work of forming subjects for the Apostolic ministry, it was quite impossible that he should ever take an active part in it himself. However, in 1835, yielding, they could hardly explain why, to his intense desire, they allowed him to depart for the Chinese Mission-

For some four years he endured the colossal labors and hardships of the Apostolate, and then, from the time of his arrest in September, 1839, to h^ s execution in September, 1840, he underwent an almost continuous succession of the most hideous tortures, as cheerfully and simply as though they had been the most ordinary exercises of his vocation.

How hopelessly the world misconceives the concentrated quiet energy of the saint's life, as he goes about his Master's business, "circa

Preface. ix

freguens minister turn, ' J or kneels in silent prayer at his Master's feet! "A life of dull littleness," it exclaims, "or at best the shimmering surface of an idle sea of false emotion signifying nothing, a spiritual far niente." But only let the summons of the breath of the Lord go forth upon its waters, and then mark the awakening, " Mirabiles elationes maris, mirabilis in altis Dominus" The cause of God articulates itself, as before in minute observance, so now under conditions of colossal conflict, but the battle has already been won, and the altered circumstances are not required to make the saint but only to proclaim him. "For I have lost a race I never ran," is the despairing cry of the despiser of little things, whereas the saint has many times over won his martyr's crown in the hour of peace. But surely this position has never been more hardly strained than in the case of our martyr, for his death was not, as the Church sings, "Mortis sacrce compendio" but a protracted agony of nigh upon twelve months.

The note of sanctity is not a weapon easy to w T ield in the arena of controversy, but on the other hand its silent influence is nearly irresistible. For ourselves, in no more efficacious way than in such a life as this can be conveyed the x Preface.

salutary reproach, so keen and so tender* expressed by the poet:

i( I see them walking in an air of glory, Whose light doth trample on my days; My days, which are at best but dull and hoary, Mere glimmering — and decays."

H. I. D. Ryder.

Contents

I. Birth of Father Perboyre — His early years, until his entrance into the Congregation of the

II. His Novitiate, Vows and Theological Studies

(1818-1823) 22

Chapter I

BIRTH OF JOHN GABRIEL — HIS EARLY YEARS, UNTIL HIS EN- TRANCE INTO THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION. (l802-l8l8.)

His birth, parentage and early years — School, Catechism and First Communion — His perseverance in well-doing — The Apostolate he exercised on all around him — He accompanies his brother Louis to the Little Seminary at Montauban — They wish to keep him — His vocation is decided, and he remains— His application to Study — His exemplary conduct — He goes through his course of Philosophy, and takes the place of one of the Professors.

On the 6th of January, 1802, at Le Puech, a little village of the parish of Mongesty in the diocese of Cahors, was born a child who, on the following day, received at the baptismal font the name of John Gabriel, and who was destined by the fame of his virtues and the triumph of a death, gloriously undergone for the name of Christ, to give great honor to God and to the congregation of St. Vincent of Paul.

His parents, Pierre Perboyre and Marie Rigal, though scantily provided with the good things of this world, were abundantly blessed with those of grace. A faith simple and strong as that of the first ages, a rule of life almost patriarchal in its simplicity, and the purity of which was derived from the minute practice of all the duties of a Christian life, such was the most precious portion of their inheritance. The blessing of God was upon them, for from their union sprang eight children, four sons and four daughters, who all proved themselves worthy of such truly Christian parents. Two of the daughters are at this moment Sisters of Charity, and another died just as she was about to enter the Community. Of the four sons, three entered the Congregation of the Mission — John Gabriel, our venerable martyr, Louis, who died at sea on his way to China, and James, who has survived his two missionary brothers, and is now in Paris.

The early years of John Gabriel showed few traces of the levity generally so characteristic of children. His language and demeanor displayed a gravity far beyond his age, and the piety he showed, remarkable as it was in a child of only five years old, inspired his own family with a kind of veneration. He had a special attraction for all sacred things, and the divine love, of which his young heart was full, evinced itself in the way in which he pronounced the holy names of Jesus and Mary, and in his devout bearing, both in Church and while saying his prayers at home.

Endued with a rare modesty, he had an instinctive horror of the least thing which could wound that delicate virtue; and to such an extent was this carried that he never willingly lent himself to any familiarity or outward show of human affection. At the same time, his pure heart was full of an exquisite sensibility, which made him keenly alive to all the sufferings of his neighbors. He had a great love for the poor, and delighted in relieving them, although he never permitted himself this pleasure without first obtaining the consent of his parents, so entirely was he " subject to them," after the manner of the Child Jesus. This docility, not onty to their orders, but even to their wishes, was never known to fail him, and never once had they cause to reproach him with the slightest disobedience. At an early age he showed himself deserving of the utmost confidence, and when only six years old was entrusted with the care of a little flock of sheep, a charge which he fulfilled to the satisfaction of every one, never showing the smallest sign of impatience, notwithstanding the frequent inclemency of the weather and the difficulty he had in managing the animals.

At eight years of age he was sent to school, where his love of study soon attracted the attention of his master, and together with his goodness won for him the esteem and respect of his companions. He was never known to become familiar with any of them, and though on good terms with all, he was best pleased to be with those who showed the greatest inclination for piety.

At the Catechism classes his intelligence and industry were no less remarkable, and the priest, struck by this combination of knowledge and piety in so young a child, did not hesitate to break through the ancient custom of the parish, and admitted him when only eleven years old to make his first Communion. No one dreamed of blaming this exception; and there was general rejoicing when the little saint , as he was commonly called, was seen to approach the holy table and receive the Bread of Angels.

The fervor which he showed on this occasion was no passing feeling, and from that day forth, John Gabriel, became the model of the parish.

Every spare moment was devoted to spiritual reading, generally the " Lives of the Saints," and in particular the life of " St. Vincent of Paul," for whom he had a special affection; and on Sundays and feast days he spent the whole day in the Church, which, indeed, he seemed to make his home.

The divine charity which filled his own heart, made its sweet and salutary influence felt by all about him. Animated by an ardent, though wise and enlightened zeal, he exercised a regular apostolate not only in his own family and among his brothers and sisters, whom he instructed and encouraged, but even among the laborers with whom he worked in the fields, and whose language, under his influence, became less rude and coarse.

Such a rare combination of qualities could not but presage a happy future, and people asked themselves, as formerly in the case of St. John the Baptist: " What a one, think ye, shall this child be?" J2hiis -pittas -piier iste erit? (Luke i. 66.) We shall see what answer Divine Providence gave to this question.

One of John Gabriel's younger brothers was also gifted with an excellent disposition. His gentle piety, and oft-repeated desire of becoming a priest caused his parents to send him to i8 Life of the Blessed

the Little Seminary at Montauban, under the care of his uncle, Rev. James Perboyre, who was then Superior. But as he was of a timid nature, and of rather delicate health, John Gabriel asked permission to accompany him, and to stay with him for the first two months, in order to accustom him to his new life. So both together the two brothers left home for the first time. It was, doubtless, a great sorrow to a family whose members were so united, but the thought of John Gabriel's speedy return helped to soothe the bitterness of the parting.

This hope, however, was not destined to be realized, for God had other designs upon the boy which were soon to be made manifest.

At first John Gabriel thought only of spending the time which he had to pass with his brother, in picking up some useful knowledge, studying French grammar, arithmetic and a little geometry. But very soon his masters, struck by his piety, amiable qualities, and aptitude for study, and perceiving in him unequivocal signs of a vocation, urged the Superior to keep the boy, and to let him begin Latin. Rev. James Perboyre did not at first give his consent, although he secretly wished the same thing himself, but replied simply: "We must leave his poor parents somebody to help them to till their vines."

However, when the father came to fetch his son home, the masters all pressed him to allow the boy to continue his studies, representing to him what a pity it would be to condemn to a laborer's life, a youth, who seemed to have a career so full of promise before him. Before consenting, the father sounded John Gabriel on the subject, and tried to find out what his own wishes were. But he, understanding all the importance of the step he was about to take, asked for time to examine the question before God, and on June 16, 181 7, wrote to his father as follows :

"My Dear Father — As soon as you had gone, I thought over your proposal that I should study Latin, and I consulted God as to what state of life I ought to embrace so as most surely to gain Heaven. After much prayer, I concluded that our Lord wished me to enter the ecclesiastical state, and, consequently, I have begun to learn Latin. I know how much you stand in need of the little help I am able to give you, and my only regret is not to be able to assist you in your heavy labors; but still, if our good God calls me to the priesthood, there i& no other road by which I can possibly attain to a blessed eternity."

This letter, full of such truly Christian feeling, put an end to his father's hesitation, and he at once declared that he was ready not only to refrain from putting any obstacle in the way of his son's vocation, but even to make all the necessary sacrifices to further it.

Happy in being able thus to respond to the call of God, John Gabriel applied himself with ardor to his new studies, and in spite of his comparatively advanced age (he was past fifteen) he soon made rapid progress. Six months after beginning Latin he was put into the fifth class; at Easter he passed into the fourth, and as he still held the first place they promoted him to the second, and thence into the rhetoric class, where he was equally successful.

He was no less remarkable for his irreproachable conduct, his exemplary regularity, and his true and solid piety. Humility, charity, gentleness, modesty, zeal and mortification were some of his chief characteristics. He soon became the object of a sort of veneration among his fellow students, besides possessing the esteem and affection of his masters. Far from presuming upon these advantages, he sincerely regarded himself as the lowest of all, seeking only to efface himself, and to put in practice that maxim of the Imitation so dear to humble souls :

44 Love to be unknown, and to be esteemed as nothing, ama nesciri et pro nihilo ?'eftutart."

The study of philosophy, to which he applied himself on finishing his rhetoric, revealed in him a clear judgment combined with great facility of conception, and a mind naturally inclined to metaphysics. Such talents, together with so much virtue, induced his uncle to appoint him to replace one of the professors who had just left the house, being fully persuaded that the young philosopher would be found equal to the task. He was not disappointed, and the new master soon gained the esteem and affection of his pupils to such a degree that thirty years afterwards many of them could not speak of him without tears of emotion.

But Divine Providence was gradually preparing him for a still more perfect life, and before long the Congregation of the Mission was to open its doors to receive him.

Chapter II. His Novitiate, Vows And Theological Studies

(1818-1823.)

First signs of his Vocation to the Congregation of the Mission — He consults God in Prayer — He is admitted to the Congregation — His Virtues during the Novitiate—His Holy Vows — His departure for Paris; admirable act of detachment — Regret felt on his leaving Montauban— The good impression he makes at the Mother-House — His application to his Theological Studies — His progress in perfection.

We have already remarked upon the love for the poor which John Gabriel showed in his childhood, and his delight in helping them. This feeling increased during his stay at the Little Seminary, and he was often found depriving himself of his breakfast or luncheon to give it to the beggars who stood at the door.

We have also seen how, among the "Lives of the Saints," which formed his habitual reading, his preference was always for the life of St. Vincent of Paul, and beneath the veil. of humility under which he strove to hide himself, it was easy to guess the ardent zeal with which his heart burned for the salvation of souls, especially of those who were sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death. Once towards the end

John Gabriel Peboyre. 23

of his rhetoric, in an essay which he read at a distribution of prizes, the following sentence occurred, showing clearly enough the secret longing of his heart: "Ah! how beautiful is the cross planted in the midst of a heathen land and watered with the blood of the Apostles of jjesus Christ!"

Nobody was astonished, therefore, when he made known his wish to enter the Congregation of the Mission, founded by St. Vincent of Paul, for the special care of the poor, and among whose members, many devote themselves to the conversion of heathen countries.

Already, in 1817, after hearing a mission sermon, he had said: "I mean to be a missionary!" but little attention was paid to his declaration, which was thought to^be only the passing emotion of a young heart, impressed by the ardent and impassioned words of the preacher. The event showed it to be the expression of a deep and lasting attraction of which God himself was the Author.

Feeling himself inwardly more and more urged to join the Congregation of the Mission, and to go and preach the Faith to the heathens in China, John Gabriel wished first of all to consult God in prayer. With this intention he made a novena in honor of St. Francis Xavier, the great apostle of the Indies, which confirmed him in his design. He then opened his heart to his uncle, Rev. James Perboyre, who at first attached but little importance to his request; but, finally, being persuaded that God was in truth calling him into the family of St. Vincent, he applied to the superiors, and obtained for John Gabriel admission to the congregation.

It was in the month of December, 1818, that John Gabriel donned the poor but holy garb of a missionary. The Congregation of the Mission, so cruelly tried during the stormy period of the French Revolution, had hitherto been unable regularly to reconstitute its Mother-House, or to re-establish its novitiate. It was necessary, therefore, to allow John Gabriel to spend the two years which precede the taking of the vows, at Montauban with his uncle, in order to give himself up as much as possible to the exercises customary in the congregation during that period of probation.

Alone in the novitiate save for one other companion, and having at one and the same time to finish his own philosophical studies, and perform the duties of a professor in the house, the conditions of our young novice seemed little favorable for the formation of a religious life. But God who had placed His servant in this difficult position, Himself undertook to form him, and the workings of grace produced such happy results in this docile spirit, that John Gabriel might serve as a model for the most pious and fervent of novices.

The virtues he then practised were on a par with those of St. John Berchmans, St. Aloysius, St. Stanislas Kostka, and those other saints whom the Church honors and holds up as models to young people. The narrow limits of this short life will not permit us to go into details however edifying. We must confine ourselves to. quoting the testimony of his fellownovice, a man of keen and observant character, quick to recognize a fault or an absurdity. 11 The whole time I w r as with him," he writes, " he was the constant object of my admiration and astonishment. Although I watched him carefully, even playing the spy occasionally, I never could succeed in finding the least fault in him. I was in a manner annoyed to find him so perfect. I might even say that I went so far as to put his virtue to the proof, but he was unassailable ; and I do not believe it possible for a novice to carry perfection further than he did."

And thus when the moment came for taking his vows, he was able to cry out with the Psalmist, Par alum cor meum^ Deus, faratum cor meum: " My heart is ready, O Lord, my heart is ready." (Ps. cvii. 2.) Indeed, his heart was already so perfectly detached both from creatures and from himself, that he was ready for that total self-immolation, of which the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are the consummation ; and he was burning to consecrate his whole life to the service of the poor by that fourth vow which St. Vincent has imposed upon his children.

It was on the 28th of December, 1820, that he had the happiness of offering this sacrifice to God, and of contracting with Jesus Christ that divine alliance which he was, in after days, to seal with his own blood, like the Holy Innocents whose feast is kept on that same day. And henceforth this day, fraught with such happy memories, took its place among his most cherished anniversaries.

Thus definitely enrolled in the Congregation of the Mission, Mr. Perboyre was called to Paris, there to commence his theological studies, and his departure was signalized by an act of detachment, of which a young man of nineteen would seldom be capable. His uncle, knowing his affection for his parents, proposed that he should go and pay them a visit before starting; an arrangement which could easily have been carried out, as he had actually to pass Cahors which was only three or four hours distant from Le Puech, on his way to Paris. But this worthy child of St. Vincent replied: "Our Blessed Father never went but once to visit his parents, and that he repented of having done afterward; if you will allow me, I should like to make this sacrifice to God." They had not the courage to refuse the permission. But his parents, who had not seen him for so long, and who were far from sharing this heroic generosity, came to Cahors to see and embrace him once more, and in order to induce him to accompany them, pointed out the road to Le Puech. " It is not the road to Heaven," he said; " to reach Heaven we must make sacrifices," and tearing himself from their arms he went his way.

The void he left at Montauban was immense; all alike, masters and pupils, regretted him as a brother, a father and a friend, or rather they wept for him as one would weep at the departure of a saint or an angel, whose very sight was the edification of all, and whose presence seemed to draw down signal blessings upon the house.

The treasure which Montauban had lost was quickly appreciated at Paris, and his superiors were charmed with the ardor and success with which he pursued his ecclesiastical studies.

The angelic doctor St, Thomas Aquinas was not only his master, he was also his model. Following his example, he had a horror of vain glory, while his only ambition was to please God, to procure His greater glory, and in due time to be of use to his neighbor. Like St. Thomas also he knew how to combine study with prayer, and sought at the foot of his crucifix that divine light and heavenly unction which are not to be found in books. He never forgot that an ill-regulated and too exclusive application to study dissipates the mind, dries up the heart and weakens piety.

A pious missionary who was among the number of his fellow-students says of him: "Throughout all this period I found him a perfect model of every virtue, inciting us all to become better. I was never able to discover the least fault in him, and although he sometimes accused himself of failing in gentleness, I never could see wherein the failure lay. People may say all the good they like of him, but I do not think it is possible to exaggerate it. There was nothing extraordinary about him, but there seemed to be nothing defective, and the more one considered and studied him, the more astonished one was to find him perfect everywhere, and in everything."

Chapter III. His First Employments At Montdidier And Saint Flour

(1823-1832.)

His first year at Montdidier — He is appointed Professor of Philosophy — His love for the poor — He is recalled to Paris, to be ordained Priest — He goes to teach theology at a great seminary of Saint Flour — His teaching — The way he formed his pupils — The admiration with which he inspired his brethren— He is named Superior of the ecclesiastical boarding school of Saint Flour — The difficulties he encounters — His aptitude for the education of the young — He is recalled to Paris — Regrets inspired by his departure from Saint Flour — Death of his brother Louis — He goes to visit his family.

Having finished his course of theology in 1823, Mr. Perboyre, then scarcely twenty-one years of age, was ordained sub-deacon and sent to the College of Montdidier where he remained two years. The first year he was set to teach a class of the youngest scholars, whose hearts he soon gained by his goodness, gentleness, and simple and winning piety. He availed himself of these good dispositions to found a little confraternity among them, which he placed under the invocation of the Holy Angels, and which produced the most happy results.

3o Life of the Blessed

The following year a very different charge was committed to him; he was intrusted with the class of philosophy, which he succeeded in making at once useful and interesting.

The care with which he prepared his classes and applied himself to his other professional duties did not prevent him from finding time to visit the poor of the town, and the prisoners. His love for these suffering members of Jesus Christ made him ingenious in procuring them relief, which it was his delight to distribute to them in person. He often got one or other of his pupils to accompany him on these charitable expeditions, liking to initiate them into the practice of works of mercy; and they on their side disputed among themselves as to who should have the happiness of serving an apprenticeship to Christian charity under such a master.

Mr. Perboyre had now reached his twentyfourth year, and his superiors deemed it advisable to recall him to Paris, to be ordained priest. This announcement filled him both with joy and fear. On the one hand he rejoiced at the prospect of ascending each day to the altar, and nourishing himself with the Bread of Angels ; while on the other, conscious of all the holiness required for such an august ministry, he feared to present himself for ordination with insufficient dispositions. These sentiments of humility only served to prepare him more fully for the grace of the priesthood, which he received on the 23d of September, 1825, in the Chapel of the Mother-House of the Sisters of Charity. It is a coincidence worthy of remark that on the very same day in the year 1600, St. Vincent of Paul had also been ordained priest at Chateaul'Eveque by the Bishop of Perigueux.

None but God and His Holy Angels can ever know how perfect were the interior dispositions of the young candidate for ordination, nor with what fervor the newly ordained priest celebrated his first Mass on the morrow. But one may safely affirm that from that moment he applied himself more assiduously than ever to the study of perfection, putting off more and more the old man, so as to clothe himself afresh with the new, thus realizing in his own person that ideal of a priest, sacerdos alter Christus.

Henceforth Father Perboyre was called to infuse into others that admirable sacerdotal spirit which filled his own heart. Appointed director and professor of dogmatic theology at the Great Seminary of Saint Flour, he proved himself, notwithstanding his youth, to be more than equal to the task.

His teaching was the more appreciated and the more fruitful in that he preached principally by example. His exalted intelligence loved to soar to the heights of Catholic dogma, expounding it with wonderful clearness and a singular precision. He knew even how to shed a charm and an interest over the most abstract subjects, divesting them of all that was dry and repellent to the ears of his listeners, but above all he made his course of study an eminently practical one, seeking in every subject fresh sustenance for his pupils' piety.

Thus, while continuing their theological studies, they were enabled to make rapid progress in the science of the saints. But it was especially those, and they were not few, who had chosen him as the guide of their conscience, whom he made the special object of his sacerdotal zeal. The affectionate and entirely supernatural attachment he felt for them, the gentle firmness with which he guided them in the paths of virtue, in a word, his wise, enlightened and fatherly direction, made them love and venerate him like an angel from heaven. There was in fact something truly angelic about this great servant of God, a sort of halo of sanctity, which became even more apparent during his celebration of the Sacred Mysteries, so that people on seeing him at the altar could not forbear exclaiming, as formerly in the case of St. Vincent of Paul, "Ah! there is a priest who does say his Mass well!" or again : " Look at Father Perboyre, he is a saint and a privileged saint; he surely can never have lost his baptismal innocence!"